Ponies Past
by ssjessiechan
Summary: Chapter four added. Please review it, and thanks for reading!
1. Rainbow's Story

Tell us a story! shouted Pink Sunsparkle, the resident spoiled baby. It was evening in Ponyville, and the ponies had just finished dinner at Celebration Castle. After dinner, Cotton Candy had supplied everyone with desserts, and the sugar only made Sunsparkle more insistent. I want a story before bed! Let's have a story Rainbow, pleeeeeease!!!  
  
Rainbow Dash blinked and looked thoughtful. Well, I don't think I've had any good ideas lately... She glanced at her best friend, Minty, who only giggled excitedly. she said to Sunsparkle confidentially, I guess you'll just have to choose what the story is about.  
  
the baby pony cheered. Most of the others had already slipped off to sleep. Star Swirl had left with a star chart in hoof, leaving only Sweetberry, Minty, Rainbow Dash, Pink Sunsparkle, and a half-asleep Pinkie Pie sitting at the low table. Pinkie Pie perked up at Sunsparkle's cheer. Rainbow's stories were not to be missed.  
  
Pink Sunsparkle considered for a bit before grabbing Rainbow's foreleg and tugging lightly. Tell me about how ponies came to Ponyville, she said resolutely, and sat herself on a comfortable cushion on the floor. The other ponies made similar motions, the matter being decided. Rainbow looked, for her part, somewhat at a loss, but soon a grin crept across her face, causing Minty to giggle in a conspiratorial sort of way.  
  
Everything in the valley of Ponyville is magical, she began. And all of the magic comes from Father Sky and Mother Rainbow. There used to be nothing here. No rocks, no trees, no lakes, and, she looked directly at Minty, no socks. Minty gave a dramatic gasp, before giggling again. Then came the clouds, and out of the clouds shone a beautiful rainbow. The Rainbow poured out light and magic onto the barren expanse, and land flowed over the void like water. Then, out of each color of the great Rainbow, came the things we know. Out of the blue stripe flowed the streams and lakes. Out of the green stripe, grass and trees were born, rippling across the land until the valley was covered in green. From the yellow stripe, came the sun and all of the things in the heavens that Father Sky ruled over. Next came the flowers and the animals, each from a different stripe until perfume and butterflies filled the air. Everything flowed from the Rainbow, as if it were a great waterfall from the sky. The Rainbow is the Sky's way of reaching the ground, and through the Rainbow, our mother, we are blessed.  
  
Last of all came the ponies. One by one, we came out of the Rainbow, stepping through the colored stripe which gave us our color. But the rainbow wanted to make each pony even more special. Pink Sunsparkle looked at Rainbow questioningly, but she knew better than to interrupt Rainbow's story. Rainbow Dash winked at her, knowing what her question was, but moved on. The rainbow saw that each pony was only one color. So she did two things. First, on one side, she gave us each a mark to match our personalities, and this is how we were named. Because I was oldest, Mother Rainbow gave me a symbol bearing her likeness. Second, the Rainbow chose some of us to make her own. Those ponies, she gave rainbow hair, like mine and Sweetberry's. The other ponies, Father Sky made his, and he gave them bright hair with glitter in it, to shine like the stars. Minty and Pinkie Pie are special to Father Sky.  
  
We lived in this valley for who knows how long, eating from the trees and rolling in the grass all day. Mother sent us little rainbows to brighten our valley, and life was very good. One night, though, there was a terrible storm, with thunder and lightening and wind that whipped you around so hard that you could barely stand. We ponies could do nothing but huddle together and pray to our mother that the storm would pass and we would be safe. Suddenly, a hole opened in the thunder clouds, showing the blue sky. The clouds turned brilliantly white, and through them descended Mother Rainbow once again. Where she touched the ground, a castle appeared. Then, the Rainbow and the clouds vanished, as if they had never been. The drawbridge to the castle opened, and out walked a tiny pony! When Pink Sunsparkle heard this, she squealed with excitement and gave a Minty-esque giggle. Rainbow grinned broadly before she moved on. The little pony was obviously special to the Rainbow. The sun shone so brightly on the baby that she was called Sunsparkle, and to show her love the Rainbow gifted her with bright rainbow hair and a heart on her flank. Mother Rainbow and Father Sky gave us everything we have. Land to roam, food to eat, a new home, our lives, and the greatest gift of all, a sweet little baby pony--and I believe it's her bedtime.  
  
Pink Sunsparkle looked disgruntled for a moment, but she had gotten her story and she was quite happy with it. Thanks, Rainbow! Is all of that really true?  
  
Well, Pink, Rainbow Dash looked into Pink Sunsparkle's eyes seriously. They had gone big and round, and seemed in danger of popping out. Nope! It's all a lie! Every word! Minty could evidently no longer contain herself, and burst out laughing. Soon she was rolling on the floor and upsetting cushions as well, prompting the others to make their way, chortling, to bed too.


	2. Whizzer

Many of the ponies had broken their fast in the cool shade by the creek, before scattering to their daily activities. Rainbow Dash leaned against an apple tree, savoring the sounds of the morning. she heard somebody say. A peek around the tree trunk revealed it to be Wysteria. She was rubbing her head with a fore hoof and scowling at an apple. Wysteria stood and looked up at the tree angrily. Stop that! It hurts, you know.  
  
You can't blame the tree for that, Rainbow commented lazily. It's gotta drop those apples sometime, you know, and your head is as good a place as any. Wysteria frowned, but sat back onto her haunches.  
  
It's the best place! declared the tree. Except for this one, it amended, and sent an apple down onto Rainbow's head.  
  
Both ponies ran out from under the tree, as Minty poked her head out of the leaves. Minty, how on earth did you get up there! Ponies can't fly, you know!  
  
Minty's only response was a giggle as she tumbled out of the tree and into the creek. It was funny, though. But didn't you know, that ponies can fly... they just use... skyhooks! Wysteria was unperturbed, and continued to scold Minty futilely. The perpetrator only continued in her tale. And the butterflies hang you on the skyhooks by your hair, so you have to tie your braids extra tight! Rainbow, usually patient with Minty, suddenly desired to be alone. A butterfly (obviously one who had helped Minty up the tree, however likely that might be) flitted by, and Rainbow decided to follow.  
  
The butterfly was headed towards the rainbow, Dash's favorite place to play. She had tried to teach the other ponies the art of running up and down the colored bands, but none but Pinkie Pie had shown much interest. Even then, it was difficult, and the danger of falling had discouraged even her. Except for the occasional experiment, Rainbow Dash had the rainbow largely to herself. And, it seemed, the wayward butterfly. She couldn't remember seeing a butterfly so pretty in the valley, and as it drifted into the sky, her curiosity bore her up the rainbow.  
  
Rainbow placed one foot onto the base, testing the rainbow's strength. The beams of light were brilliant, but one could easily see to the other side. As her hoof touched, the beams parted and flowed around her, as if she had interrupted the flow of a stream. She could feel a light resistance, but of course it would not bear her weight. When she withdrew her hoof, a colorful dew remained. It had the consistency of honey, and where it touched the grass, flowers bloomed within seconds. She took another look up at the butterfly. It had drifted upwards, and seemed to be playing near the top of the arc. That seemed to have decided the matter. With one mighty leap, Rainbow Dash had mounted the beam and was running into the sky.  
  
The trick to riding rainbows, she had discovered, was to keep moving. The magical beam would not hold any weight for long, and if one stayed in one place, they would quickly sink and then fall through. A still hoof would meet the ground within seconds, which was perhaps why the other ponies were reluctant to join her. Rainbow Dash found it exhilarating, and could be found high atop a rainbow's arc on any day with a bit of sunshine. Which was, of course, nearly all of them. Rainbow could dance up and down the beams with practiced ease. It wasn't long before she had reached the top, where she cantered back and forth, casting her eyes into the air. She was totally unprepared for what she saw, however.  
  
The butterfly was still reeling through the sky. It was what was next to it that was the problem. A pale pink pony with a mixture of purple, green, and blue hair was hovering just above her. Hovering. Ponies didn't do that, Rainbow thought to herself. the strange pony shouted. At that moment, Rainbow felt a familiar sinking sensation.  
  
In her panic, Rainbow Dash had stopped moving.  
  
She was falling.  
  
she shouted desperately. The flying pony dove in an instant, wrapping her legs around Rainbow's torso and grabbing her mane in her teeth. Rainbow could feel how hard the stranger's wings were beating, and her fall had been stopped. She had only fallen a few feet, such that her body was in the rainbow's beam.  
  
I can't hold you for long, the stranger whispered through clenched teeth. Rainbow scrambled upwards and managed to find purchase with her delicate hooves, pulling herself back onto the beam. Oddly, there seemed to be more resistance than usual on the rainbow, and she had no trouble pulling herself up. The flying pony let go, and settled herself onto the arc in front of Rainbow Dash. They both settled into the pattern of lifting their feet and jumping, such that they looked more like puppies playing than ponies faced with a life-threatening fall. The newcomer folded her wings, and Rainbow noticed that her symbol consisted of tiny propeller beanies, and her eyes seemed to be made of bright jewels.  
  
Thatwasclosewasntit? Whatsyourname? The pony seemed to be speaking in a strange language, or else far too quickly to understand.  
  
What? I can't understand you, said Rainbow. She made sure to keep moving this time.  
  
The stranger seemed to be thinking. Then, she carefully maneuvered herself to Rainbow's side so that they were touching. Is this better?  
  
answered the blue pony. She tried moving in place so that she didn't lose contact with the newcomer, since it seemed to enable the stranger to communicate with her. The rainbow had regained the more solid consistency that it had when she had tried to get up, and as such it wasn't hard to pace on the spot. Who are you? What are you?  
  
I'm Whizzer, I already told you that. Whizzer looked at Rainbow incredulously. I'm a pegasus. Haven't you ever seen one before?  
  
Rainbow Dash supposed that that meant that she was a flying pony, as much good as that did her. I'm Rainbow Dash, and no, I haven't. All of our ponies stay on the ground.  
  
Except you. I've never seen an earth pony on a rainbow, either. I guess that makes us even. Whizzer was smiling broadly, in a disarming sort of way, and Rainbow couldn't help but smile herself.  
  
Thanks for saving me. Say, want to get down from here so we can talk? I can introduce you to the others and we can have lunch... Out of the corner of her eye, Rainbow caught sight of the butterfly from earlier. She couldn't quite place it, but it seemed as if something were wrong with it.  
  
Whizzer seemed concerned. No, I can't leave the rainbow. There's something you should know. She paced on the spot for a few seconds, seemingly nervous, before finishing. You see, I'm from the past.


	3. The Red Queen

Rainbow Dash wasn't quite sure how to treat this piece of information. Her first reaction was to laugh, but something told her not to. Rainbow was the oldest pony in Ponyville, and she had never seen a pony that could fly. She turned around to face the valley, losing contact with Whizzer in the process. Immediately the rainbow became less supporting, and she picked up her pace to compensate. She spotted Minty dashing across an open field. From her trajectory, it looked like she was aiming for Pinkie Pie.  
  
Whizzer stood by, watching patiently. Of course she hadn't thought Rainbow would believe her immediately. But then, why did she even bother telling her? Perhaps she just wanted to make a friend. And it was certainly unusual to see another pony on the rainbow. Other pegasi flew _over _it, not on it. For some reason, they never saw her when she was traveling, even though she stayed physically in the same place, sometimes for hundreds of years at a time as she watched history unfold. Perhaps, she mused, Rainbow Dash was special. Or perhaps it was just these new ponies.  
  
Whizzer trotted up to where Rainbow Dash paced on the spot. She, too, caught a glimpse of a green pony tearing across the valley. An idea struck her. As the runner neared its victim, Whizzer gently nuzzled her companion.  
  
Rainbow was slightly startled at Whizzer's intrusion into her thoughts. She had been watching Minty with half of her attention while the other half considered Whizzer's words. When the pink pony touched her, however, she immediately noticed a change. Like before, the rainbow became more solid, but now she was able to see the rest of the valley, and the change was startling. Minty had slowed down so much that Rainbow could see each individual footfall. She had nearly reached Pinkie Pie. When she was only a few yards away, she tucked her head down between her forelegs, while giving one last kick with her back legs. Rainbow watched in amazement as Minty rolled head over hooves twice before colliding with Pinkie Pie, and sending both of them tumbling slowly down a hill and out of sight. Rainbow Dash had just seen what she had always, inwardly, wanted a chance to see: Minty's double roll attack, at half speed. More to her amazement, though, was that the strange pony that had just nudged her had the uncanny ability to alter time.  
  
You can slow down time! Rainbow gaped at the pegasus beside her. If she could control time, she could certainly travel through it forwards and back as she pleased.  
  
Whizzer thought for a moment before replying. I didn't slow time down, she said in a way she thought the other pony might understand. I sped you up. The look on Rainbow's face showed that she didn't see how that changed anything. Look... you know how if you run fast, you get to where you want to go in less time? The blue pony nodded. Well, if you go fast enough, you can get there in negative time. You can go backwards!  
  
Rainbow Dash looked slightly confused. You mean... you can go backwards in time just by being really fast? Whizzer nodded. Rainbow remembered the storytelling session of the previous evening. What an interesting coincidence, she thought to herself. Does that mean you know all of the history of Ponyville? I was kind of wondering how everything happened...  
  
Whizzer laughed. It reminded Rainbow of warm wind on a summer evening. Yes, I know the history of all ponies. I've been there! She looked at Rainbow Dash seriously for a moment. The blue pony was the only one she'd ever seen on the rainbow, and she had gone quite a few places in time. Perhaps she really was special. The fact that she could pull Rainbow into her time stream, which didn't seem to be possible for the other ponies in her time, only proved it. If you want, Rainbow, I think I can take you with me. Would you like to see the beginning of time?  
  
The blue pony's mind boggled. It was one thing to talk to a time traveler, but it was another to be invited along for the ride.  
  
I think I can take you along, but you should know a few things first. You can't leave the rainbow except in your own time for one. I think it's so that we don't change history... though that doesn't explain why I can interact with you. Second, it's a little uncomfortable and very difficult. You'll see what I mean. And third, we can only see what happens in this valley. I'll have to explain things to you from what I've pieced together. I'll try to give you the quick version, since it's very tiring and I'm sure you don't want to be gone long. Of course, you'll be back here the instant you left.  
  
Rainbow wondered if that information was supposed to help her present state of bafflement. But despite her misgivings (she was agreeing to do the impossible with an impossible creature that she had met while doing something that was, apparently, impossible), her curiosity overwhelmed her. Er, sure, all right. But is it safe?  
  
Of course it's safe! Whizzer exclaimed. It's just a little uncomfortable and a bit tiring. But as long as you hang on to me, you'll be fine. And even if you do let go, I can come back for you. She considered the question some more. Although... I don't know what would happen if you fell off the rainbow. If I stray while I'm traveling, I feel intense pain the farther away I go. If I move even a few feet to the side or down, I simply have to return. If you fell, I don't know what would happen to you. I can't tell you because at the moment you and I exist in a different time stream than the rest of the world. The fact that we will have existed then was unknown to me... She continued on this thread for a while before Rainbow interrupted.  
  
Then let's go! She was getting tired of being confused. If it was as simple as Whizzer said, she would be perfectly safe. She had no fear of falling.  
  
All you have to do is grab my tail and follow my lead. Whizzer walked a few paces in front of her and swished her blue and green tail. As Rainbow grabbed, she noticed the butterfly slowly approaching them. She realized that the reason it had looked odd earlier was the incredibly slow flap of its wings. She watched in fascination as it made a lazy arc over her nose. Are you ready? Start running!  
  
Whizzer in front of her started to walk slowly. Rainbow only watched, fascinated. As her guide's hooves touched the surface of the rainbow, it was as if she was walking on air. Instead of the rainbow giving under her feet as it normally did, there was no sign of disturbance. When her hoof made contact, the only clue was a soft sound. Her hooves swept backwards instead of carrying her body forwards. She was running on a friction less surface. Come on, Whizzer shouted before her. Rainbow picked up her hooves in response and began to run. As with Whizzer, her hooves only made a sound as they slid across the cold surface. The rainbow had become hard and chill as ice.  
  
The pair picked up speed on the frozen rainbow, and the air around them became chilly as well. If time had seemed to be going at half the speed of normal, then the ponies must have been going twice as fast as they seemed. Rainbow realized that they must be going very fast indeed. In front of her, the butterfly had frozen in place just above her nose. You've got to go faster, shouted Whizzer in front of her.  
  
This is as fast as I can go, returned Rainbow Dash through a mouthful of tail. She now knew what Whizzer meant when she said it was tiring.  
  
Whizzer grinned. What slow ponies you are! It takes as fast as you can run just to stay in the same place in time! We'll never get there at this rate. Run faster!  
  
Rainbow increased her determination at the mock insult. She threw her weight into the run, lowering her head into the nonexistent wind. The two were thundering now, and if they had been moving, Rainbow mused, they would be halfway around the world by now. Slowly the butterfly began to fly backwards in front of rainbow's eyes. That's it! Faster!  
  
With the knowledge that she was now a time traveler, Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and threw every ounce of strength she had into speeding towards her goal. She could hear Whizzer's hooves make impact on the rainbow's surface and she marveled inwardly at just how fast they were going. The air became more and more frigid and despite the enormous amount of blood pumping through her system, her feet began to go numb from the impact and the cold. Nevertheless, she kept running. She ran for what seemed like hours, her endurance never failing her. All the while, her guide shouted for her to go faster. After an eternity of running, just as she thought she would need to slow down or die, she heard a whisper in front of her. You can stop now. We can't go back any farther.  
  
Rainbow slid to a halt, and the cold instantly dissipated. She resumed her habit of pacing on the spot in order not to fall, as the rainbow had again begun to give under her weight. She was still standing on the rainbow. But in front of her was a great, black expanse of nothingness. Whizzer said solemnly, to the beginning of time.


	4. The First Dawn

Rainbow Dash was, to say the least, a little startled. There in front of her was the vast expanse that she had tried to convey to little Pink Sunsparkle, now worlds away. Thousands of years, at the very least. And across that vastness of time from her home, was this vastness of space. Perhaps a better description of Rainbow's mental state would be_ paralyzed_.  
  
Whizzer waited patiently for the effects of infinity to wear off. When the blue pony's jaw had dropped, her tail fell from it, so she paced backwards a few steps so that her flank brushed against her companion's shoulder. Sensing her nervousness, the pink pegasus decided to make conversation. Perhaps some words would jump-start Rainbow's brain. It's, uh... big, isn't it?  
  
On the other hand, Whizzer's brain wasn't working too well either. This place gave her the screaming heebie-jeebies, and for a reason. When you see a rainbow, you usually see an arc interrupted by ground on both sides. If you happen to be flying, non-magical rainbows appear as circles if you're high enough in the air (Whizzer was quite familiar with this phenomenon, but unfortunately you couldn't get close enough to that kind to use them as flight targets). The great rainbow, naturally, stayed firmly on the ground. Here, of course, there was no ground, and so the rainbow continued its arc indefinitely. Here at the beginning of time were two ponies, standing on a gigantic circular rainbow, with nothing else but a black expanse. Had they been viewed from a distance, it would be difficult to tell if they were standing at the top of the circle of light or beneath it, as things like or had no meaning with no real frame of reference. To make matters worse, all around them was _nothing_. It wasn't like standing in a dark room, where the walls close around you. It was indeed dark, but there was an unimaginable sense of infinity that came with it. As far away as the ponies could see in any direction, was only an infinitesimal fraction of what there was, and they could sense this. Whizzer was bogglingly aware that she stood perched on the edge a ring with no top or bottom that sat smack dab in the middle of an eternity of nothing. Had she not had wings, she would have been afraid of falling off--and falling forever. She could only imagine how Rainbow Dash felt, having been confronted with this for the first time, and without wings.  
  
Presently the blue pony managed to pull her jaw shut. That she had not fallen off in her amazement was due partially to fear and partially to Whizzer's help--it was far easier in her time stream since she had to move a little less. Um, yeah, she managed weakly. She hoped that Whizzer would show her something else soon, but was a little too overwhelmed to say it. It was not long, however, before something began to happen.  
  
Here it comes, said Whizzer with apparent relief. They had stopped going backwards simply since there was nowhere else to go. The rainbow hadn't existed before that. Thus it would make sense that, soon after the rainbow was created, everything else would follow. She had seen all this before, but she had had the nerve to watch the creation only once. It was... unnerving. She motioned downward and Rainbow followed her gaze. Through the translucent and insubstantial streams of light they could see a small glowing orb form. It was positioned exactly in the center of the huge circle and was thus quite far away--Rainbow Dash noted that it was further to the center than the distance between the apex of the arc and the ground (as it had looked that morning, that is). It seemed that the rainbow was mostly hidden in the earth in her time. As she stared transfixed at the glowing orb, watching it slowly expand, she found it hard to concentrate on the matter at hand. Her thoughts wandered to her companion. If Whizzer could travel anywhere in time by staying on top of the rainbow, she mused, was there a pony that could travel anywhere on the rainbow in one time, even underground? It was a silly thought. Why would anyone want to go underground? Besides, ponies in her time didn't have magic... well, unless you counted Minty's inexplicable ability to climb trees. Maybe Minty _could _fly...  
  
Whizzer, too, felt the euphoric buzz that emitted from the ball of creation below her. The pink pegasus watched the white ball until the colors separated out, and lashed out to encircle her, making her world one of beautiful colors. She shook her head, chasing the hallucination away so that she could focus more clearly. A glance to her side showed that her companion was all right, but in a giddy world of her own. Pay attention, it's about to happen, she admonished. Rainbow Dash also shook herself, and glanced down at the expanding ball below her. Its volume was now enormous, and tendrils of colored light were writhing about on its surface like restless snakes. The orb threatened to overtake the rainbow encircling it, so large had it grown. The ponies were locked in place (their feet still carried them, thankfully) in fear and elation as it began to grow even more brilliantly, and then, to shrink. Light streamed out of it in jets solid as tree trunks and brilliant as the stars.  
  
The great mass of pure creative power folded on itself with one massive shudder. In a moment it was gone, and from its perimeter, perpendicular to the rainbow and horizontal with respect to the observers, light streamed out in rings to form a vast plane. The sheet of light glowed brightly at first, and then it began to expand, drifting in form as winds blew it into place. I think we need to speed things up. This takes a long time to form, Whizzer said. She motioned for her companion to grab her tail, and then she held her wings out. she commanded, and she began to flap her wings. Gently at first, and then more swiftly, her wings pounded the air. Amazingly, though, Whizzer stayed where she was. It was time that seemed to move around the pair, as the movement of the glowing earth below them intensified. Parts of it jutted up and others sank below. Soon the white light broke into many colors, and then faded, leaving the earth dark. Again, the only light they could see came from the rainbow, only now it was only an arc interrupted at both sides by darkness. The guide slowed her wings, and then folded them at her side. Now watch.  
  
The ponies looked on in awe. At first, Rainbow could see nothing. But soon a gentle glow could be seen over the horizon. Slowly, the light intensified, and then, a bright light peeked over the distant mountains. Her heart felt suddenly warm and she couldn't stop herself from laughing with joy. As she watched, a globe not unlike that that had created the land climbed slowly into the sky, and the valley was illuminated for the first time. The greenery was brilliant. And, to Rainbow Dash's great surprise, there nestled into the mountains was Celebration Castle, just as she remembered it. And this, said Whizzer with a smile, is the first dawn.


End file.
